Explainer: Tongkat Ali and other natural performance enhancers

We went to school in the mornings. We played outside in the afternoons. And the only cartoon that really mattered was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Most of all, our idea of bodily nutrition was lined up neatly in three different categories: grow, glow, and go foods. And that was it.

It was only growing up that we found out all about the Omega 3’s, and the L-Carnitine’s of the world.

Boom. Suddenly, the world was more complicated.

So how about we take a crash course, and get ourselves educated about some of these things? We were going to call them “substances,” but that makes them sound illegal.

So we’ll stick to “things.” Let’s focus on this new daily supplement that pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao is currently endorsing: Nitro. Its ingredients: L-Arginine, Ginseng, Pyconogenol, and Tongkat Ali.

What are its benefits to me?Apart from the ones mentioned above, studies have also shown that L-Arginine also aids in improving recovery speed after surgery, erectile dysfunction, and decreases chest pain. At this point though, there have been no studies that prove that the amino acid helps improve athletic performance.

Natural sources of this amino acid include nuts, legumes, and many meat and dairy products.